Thoughts about consumerism

I was sitting in the mall today, and while it is not even close to Christmas yet, I still felt an overwhelming sense of materialism. Maybe it is just because I was in a location where I saw things I would really like and may be able to justify them as needs, but I can't really afford them. It could just be a bad attitude on my part. But it got me thinking about Christmas and consumerism. I love Christmas - family, coziness, familiar songs, celebrating God's gift to us. But I also hate Christmas - the intense pressure to buy useless yet expensive things for friends and family and the fear of them hating the gifts you spent so much time trying to find, facing incessant ads and displays, the constant reminder that I don't have as much as everyone else seems to. The pressure is unbearable! Whatever happened to the fun times we had as kids? Why can't it just be about celebration, family, food, and warmth? My husband and I are deciding not to buy each other gifts, because really - we don't need them. And there are so many people in the world who don't even have clean water to drink. Funny how those African families vanish from out minds (mine included) when we are bombarded by all the Christmas stuff. I wish we could all just agree as a culture to forget the stuff and instead remember those who need love. Why is it so hard to live by Christ's upside-down kingdom? God help us. May this Christmas be turned upside-down for Your sake.